The Labour Party has today called for an ‘electric vehicle revolution’ to back Britain’s car manufacturers, create jobs, and end the imbalance which means four times as many people in the South East buy electric cars than in the North West.
The latest official statistics show that of around 80,000 ultra-low emission vehicles newly registered in the UK in 2019, just 3,772 were in the North West. Almost 17,000 were newly registered in the South East – despite the population of the South East being just around 1.3 times the size of the population in the North West.
In the North West, it is significantly more difficult to drive an electric car if you do own one because there are only 19 charging points per 100,000 people. In London, there are more than double that amount with 69 charging points per 100,000 people. The North West has the lowest number of charging points per person in England.
Labour’s plan would secure the industry’s future, boost employment in communities across the country and support people in the North West to make the switch to electric:
Back automotive manufacturers and create jobs by part-financing the creation of three new, additional gigafactories by 2025, providing greater security for the sector and shoring up Britain’s global leadership in the electric vehicle market
Make electric vehicle ownership affordable by offering interest-free loans for electric vehicles to those on low to middle incomes to remove the upfront cost barrier; and trialling a national scrappage scheme
Make it easier for people to drive an electric vehicle, wherever they live, by accelerating the roll-out of charging points on streets and targeting areas left out like the North West
Constructing gigafactories is crucial for the future of our automotive sector, especially in light of the trade deal with the EU, because we need a strong domestic battery supply chain to remain competitive and to build on our position as a leading electric vehicle producer and to sell to the world.
Crucially, Labour would ensure that everyone in the country can benefit from the electric vehicle revolution, as opposed to the Tories whose policies are baking in unfairness.
Shadow Business Secretary Ed Miliband said:
“To back the car industry and create jobs, Labour would bring forward ambitious proposals to spark an electric vehicle revolution in every part of the country.
“By extending the option to buy an electric car to those on lower incomes and accelerating the roll-out of charging points in regions that have been left out, we would ensure that everyone could benefit – rather than bake in unfairness.
“And we would invest in securing the industry’s future. While it’s right that government has said the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will end, it’s so wrong it is imposing a massive transition on our manufacturers from Whitehall then washing its hands of it.
“It’s not fair, it will damage our manufacturers, and it will mean l